Journal article
Effect of Ambient Temperature Variations on Positivity of Manual Fecal Immunochemical Tests
Journal of primary care & community health, Vol.6(4), pp.243-249
10/2015
DOI: 10.1177/2150131915588738
PMCID: PMC4707935
PMID: 26022208
Abstract
In the United States, many fecal occult blood tests are mailed by patients to a laboratory for analysis. Hemoglobin is not stable in feces and can be affected by the heat. Effects of season and ambient temperature on fecal immunochemical tests (FITs) have demonstrated a decrease in positivity rates during the hottest season.
To investigate the potential effect of the average of 4-day ambient maximum temperature variations on the positivity of a single sample, one-time Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA)-waived FIT.
Midwestern tertiary care hospital.
Individuals scheduled for a colonoscopy were invited to complete a qualitative FIT prior to their colonoscopy in 2010 and 2011. FITs were read as positive or negative.
Valid FITs were received from 1026 individuals over 25 months. The positivity rate was 10.9%. The mean 4-day average of daily maximum ambient temperatures was calculated including the day of receipt for each sample. Fahrenheit temperatures ranged from 16.0 to 96.8. Based on the odds ratio of 1.04 with a confidence interval of 0.94 to 1.14 for a 10°F increase in temperature, there was no statistically significant evidence of an effect of the preceding maximum average 4-day ambient temperature on FIT positivity.
No evidence was found that ambient temperature had an effect on positivity rate over a 25-month period using 4 different qualitative FIT products. Further analysis on effect of ambient temperatures is warranted for the automated FITs and CLIA-waived FITs, including liquid-vial and dry-slide FITs. Primary care providers need to be aware of potential adverse effects of FITs.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Effect of Ambient Temperature Variations on Positivity of Manual Fecal Immunochemical Tests
- Creators
- Jeanette M Daly - The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA jeanette-daly@uiowa.eduCamden P Bay - The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USAYinghui Xu - The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USABarcey T Levy - The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of primary care & community health, Vol.6(4), pp.243-249
- DOI
- 10.1177/2150131915588738
- PMID
- 26022208
- PMCID
- PMC4707935
- NLM abbreviation
- J Prim Care Community Health
- ISSN
- 2150-1327
- eISSN
- 2150-1327
- Publisher
- United States
- Grant note
- RC1 CA144907 / NCI NIH HHS CA144907-01 / NCI NIH HHS
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 10/2015
- Academic Unit
- Health Management and Policy; Epidemiology; Family and Community Medicine
- Record Identifier
- 9984025286502771
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